Joint endoprostheses have been developed to replace virtually every human joint. As life expectancy increases, people are increasingly likely to require replacement of a joint that simply wears out from years of use. For instance, knee and hip prostheses are becoming more commonplace among the aging population. The success of these orthopaedic components or implants has steadily increased over the years as improvements in materials, manufacturing and design are developed.
It is desirable for manufacturers of orthopaedic components and orthopaedic surgeons to track the products once they leave the manufacturing floor and post-operatively. This tracking can be part of the inventory control for both the manufacture and the end user hospital. It can also form part of the manufacturer quality control and can even expedite patient care by providing valuable information about the associated orthopaedic component. For a variety of reasons, some joint endoprostheses require replacement or revision many years after implantation. Identification of the implant can provide valuable information regarding the implant design and its manufacture.
Until now, tracking the history of an orthopaedic implant has been left to written records or retention in a computer database. Where the records are only used for inventory control, this manner of recording the implant information is usually sufficient. However, many records of this sort are kept handy for a limited time, so that the recorded information may not be available for a revision procedure many years later. Consequently, there is a need for a system to maintain information concerning an orthopaedic implant that is associated with the implant and readily accessible at any point in the life of the implant.